Skip to main content

Gears of War 3 developers talk multiplayer in anticipation of the coming beta

When it was announced that Gears of War 3 was pushed back from its original April release date until September 20, you could almost hear the collective groan of Xbox 360 users around the world. Of course, it was somewhat offset by the snickers of PS3 gamers, who were then silenced by a nod towards the much delayed Gran Turismo 5. Delays are a fact of life in the video game industry. GT5 was eventually released, Gears of War 3 is looking solid for a September release and Epic Games are preparing to host the most anticipated beta of the year (at least until the next “most anticipated beta of the year” is announced).

The beta will begin on April 18 for the select few that purchased the Bulletstorm Epic Edition for the Xbox 360. They will have a few days to themselves on the dedicated servers before the beta opens on April 25 to everyone that pre-ordered Gears of War 3. It ends on May 15.

Recommended Videos

Along with the access, you have the chance to unlock certain items that can then be used in the full version when it is released. The following unlockable items are:


• Flaming Hammerburst

Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 to permanently unlock.

• Flaming Lancer

Complete one match during the week of April 25 to permanently unlock.

• Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun

Complete one match during the week of May 2 to permanently unlock.

• Flaming Gnasher Shotgun

Complete one match during the week of May 9 to permanently unlock.

• Beta Tester Medal — Wear it proudly, Gear.

Complete one match in the Beta to permanently unlock.

• Thrashball Cole — Unlock Thrashball Cole to play as Augustus Cole as he was before Emergence Day — a legendary Thrashball athlete known for his ferocious, flamboyant style.

Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period. To permanently unlock, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the Beta period.

• Gold-Plated Retro Lancer — Before the chainsaw bayonet was deployed at the beginning of the Locust-Human War, the original Lancer assault rifle had a large fixed blade.

Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period. To permanently unlock, score 100 kills with the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer during the Beta period.


When the beta first begins, players will be introduced to the new Team Deathmatch game mode. It is your standard deathmatch just like you have played in too many games to count, but with a twist. Each team has a pool of lives to draw from, and the game ends when one team has been totally wiped out. Capture the Leader and King of the Hill will both be introduced sometime during the beta.

For more details about the multiplayer, including a sneak peak at what to expect, check out the video below, which features the developers discussing the Gears of War 3 multiplayer.

But the biggest question regarding Gears of War 3 is something we won’t be able to answer until the game is released. Will Carmine survive?! Look for Gears of War 3 as an Xbox 360 exclusive on September 20 to find out.

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
The Midnight Walk: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more
everything we know the midnight walk

A game doesn't have to look real to be considered as having the best graphics. We are looking forward to Ghost of Yotei just as much as South of Midnight despite them both having distinctly different art styles. The Midnight Walk is an upcoming video game that falls into the more creative side by presenting a world fully realized in claymation. While the visuals will get your attention, the world, characters, and atmosphere are more than enough to fully draw you in. If you're a fan of unique horror games, this upcoming PS5 game and upcoming PC game deserves your attention. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Release date

The Midnight Walk will release on May 8, 2025.
Platforms

Read more
How to transmog and hide gear in Avowed
A masked figure in Avowed. The mask looks like it's made of gold, it has glowing red eyes, and there's a hood over its head.

In older RPGs, you would have to sacrifice that armor set you love the look of for the newer one that had better stats. In Avowed, it isn't exactly a secret tip or trick that wearing the more powerful gear is important, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice fashion. If you're playing in third-person especially, you want to make sure your character looks cool while exploring and using your flashy skills. Transmog has become more common lately, and thankfully is present in Avowed so you can wear the most powerful armor while still appearing like your old favorite. Or, you can hide all your armor completely if you want. Here's how to do both.

Read more
How to turn off damage numbers in Avowed
A player fights a bear in Avowed

One of the simple tips and tricks RPGs rely on to show how powerful you are is to display your damage in numbers. Avowed does this for every attack and ability you use, meaning you will see a ton of numbers pop up during your adventure. While they can be helpful at times, enemies also have health bars to see how much damage you're doing so having those numbers pop up can be more distracting than anything else, especially in third-person. Thankfully the game lets you turn these off to get a slightly more grounded experience. Here's how to quickly toggle this setting off.

Read more